


We grow up when I'm not looking

by silentghosts



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, eric bittle runs a mildly famous video blog, hockey is back people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:30:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentghosts/pseuds/silentghosts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Providence home opener is on the first Wednesday of hockey season and tickets sold out in just under an hour, hockey world abuzz about the return of the prodigal son-- playing his first NHL game against Montreal.</p><p>//</p><p>Alternatively : The SMH team are practically Jack's own cheerleading squad and The Swallow still won't stop objectifying his hockey butt even after he has graduated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We grow up when I'm not looking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betsytheoven (Thelionesskim)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=betsytheoven+%28Thelionesskim%29).



> This Wednesday marked two very important things The return of hockey ( and the beginning of my first full season of watchings) and [Kims](http://betsytheoven.tumblr.com) Birthday. So naturally I wrote about Jacks first game, and no for once it is not 3.5K of angst from me. Side note - thanks to Hannah and everyone on twitter who helped me along the way when I couldn't bounce ideas of Kim you made this process 100x more enjoyable.

The Providence home opener is on the first Wednesday of hockey season and tickets sold out in just under an hour, hockey world abuzz about the return of the prodigal son-- playing his first NHL game against Montreal.

 

//

 

**Beyond the Ice : Jack Zimmermann**

Daniel Blackburn // October 4, 2015

_If you know anything about hockey right now, you would know that not only does this coming Wednesday mark the beginning of the 2015 season but also the long awaited debut of Robert ‘Bad Bob’ Zimmerman's son Jack Zimmermann onto NHL ice-- five years after he disappeared just days prior to the 2009 NHL entry draft. While rumours and secrecy still shroud the expected first pick’s disappearance, this Wednesday’s match against Montreal is slated to be the home opener with the highest TV ratings since Sidney Crosby’s debut in 2005._

_Earlier this week we were lucky enough to get time to sit down with Jack and talk to him about his time at college, growing up with hockey, and what it’s like to finally be playing in the show_

_DB -  If you don’t mind me saying, this next week has been a long time coming; I remember following your time in the Q in the same way that any journalism student with dreams of becoming a hockey reporter does, and I remember the accolades, the excitement and then the silence that followed the 2009 draft, but ignoring all of that: how excited are you to actually skate out on that ice come Wednesday?_

_JZ - You’re not wrong in saying that it’s been a long time; been a long wait, but at the same time I’m not ashamed of the path I took. My time at Samwell was not only great for me to be just me, but it also did great things for my hockey. Five years ago I didn’t feel ready for the NHL, but now I know I’m ready and come Wednesday when I step out on the ice I’m just going to excited about playing with and against some of the best hockey players in the world._

_DB - One of my first assignments as a junior reporter was actually covering NCAA Hockey, and I have to say I was surprised to see your name pop up on the roster at Samwell, of all places instead of one of the bigger hockey schools like the ones in Boston or Minnesota. However, over your time there the team seemed to really grow into one of the stronger teams in Division I. How much, do you think, of this was due to your experience that you brought when you joined -- and later captained -- the team?_

_JZ - The team at Samwell is a great group of guys; we’ve had a good core over the past two years, with some great guys coming into the team that have really helped elevate us to becoming not just playoff contenders, but Frozen Four contenders for the past couple years. Bu to say it was my experience that helped get us there? I can’t say I can agree with that. Hockey is a team sport and while I had my time in the Q, I wasn’t the only one who had played juniors on the team. Each member contributes in their own way, both on the ice and off. It’s what made us such a close knit group, and why some of the guys on the team are my closest friends._

_DB - Obviously you grew up around hockey, first watching Bad Bob play at such an elite level and then following that path yourself. But you talk a lot about how during your time at Samwell it was nice to be just Jack, not Jack Zimmermann. So what is one story that just Jack can tell us about his college experience ?_

_JZ - I think the first moment in which I really felt like Jack the college student instead of Jack the hockey player was when I had to pick my major. At that stage I had already decided I was going to try play at the NHL level once I graduated even if it meant I had to come up through the minors, but picking a major was such a quintessential college moment that I found myself debating over what I wanted to choose for months. As for a “only in college” story? Well, where else would you find 10 hockey players crammed into a kitchen at 1am eating pie straight out of the dish? If the team nutritionists found the guys here doing it now they would have our necks._

Read more on - http://beyondtheice.com/Daniel-Blackburn/Oct-4/Jack-Zimmermann

 

//

 

Bitty was buzzing with nervous excitement as they wove through the streets of Providence, progressively getting closer and closer to the rink  and staring out the window wide-eyed as the frequency of Falconers jerseys increased.

“Did you see that,” Lardo asked, her arm past Bitty and out the window as her finger pointed to a group of guys walked down the sidewalk in Providence Falconers gear, one of them with ZIMMERMANN spelt out across his shoulders.

Some days Bitty could hardly believe Jack was now an NHL player, but other days it seemed like he really had been all along.

 

//

 

Settled into his seat, Bitty looked around at the mishmash of Providence blue and Samwell red that surrounded him, Jack having managed to secure tickets for the entirety of last year’s roster, despite the game selling out in under a day.

Here in the stadium with one of Jack's old Samwell jerseys on, a Providence Cap on his head and the growing noise of the crowd around him, Bitty couldn’t help but be in awe of the absurdity of the situation. Just months ago Jack had been helping Ransom and Holster stuff him into a hockey bag, a smile stretched across his face as laughter had rung around the room, and now, in less than an hour, he would be playing his first official NHL game.

 **Eric Bittle**  @omgcheckplease  -  Oct 7

Good luck to Jack on his big game tonight from the 2014/15 Samwell Men's Hockey team! #providencefalconers https://instagram.com/p/8ZZXsjPBG0/

Providence Falconers retweeted your tweet

 **Olivia**  @Olivetrees - Oct 7

@omgcheckplease TELL JACK I SAID HE IS GOING TO DO GREAT!!!

 **Kat**  @KitKatss - Oct 7

@omgcheckplease I’m so glad you guys got tickets when they sold out so fast I was kind of nervous for you.

 **I’m always crying**  @Zimmsass - Oct 7

@omgcheckplease You’re here? OMG where are you guys sitting !! *begins scanning the crowd for samwell red*

 

//

 

When Jack finally skated out on the ice for warmups, the team was on their feet almost instantly, their screams and cheers joined with other fans’ voices as the arena filled with noise. The Jumbotron camera zoomed in on Jack as he circled the ice, bumping shoulders with teammates while his eyes searched the crowds. His face split into a grin when he spotted the Samwell team piled on top of each other, a flailing mess of red, white, and blue, a dozen or so rows back from the glass across from the visitors’ bench.

Jack shot them a wave before skating back towards his net and Bitty’s heart clenched with pride as he thought back to long talks by the lake over the 4th of July weekend, laying in the sun next to each other as the sun dips below the horizon and Jack talking about how even after all this time he just hoped he was ready, that he felt like he was, but still, what if he was making the wrong decision. But as Eric watched him loop back towards the red line before pulling that same ridiculous face Bitty had seen many times up close as he sniped the puck past the goalie, punching a shoulder lightly on the way out, it looked like he had spent his entire life on NHL ice. Maybe in some ways he had. Even in all the times Eric had seen him on the ice, had been on the ice with him, never had he looked more at home, more alive than he did right now, and the puck hadn’t even dropped yet.

 

//

 

**zimmermannly**

Someone please tell me we have a stream for the Providence Game ?

#NHLstreams #ineedthistobreathe #istherearoombeingsetup

> **kentparsely**
> 
> I think Kat has a Rabbit room up ? Let me see if I can find it ?? I will link you if I do ?
> 
> #I will find a stream #and we will scream together
> 
> **zimmermannly**
> 
>             THANKYOU !! LORD AT THIS RATE I AM GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE YOU MY FIRST BORN!!

**hickeyhockey**

The camera just panned past a the crowd and HOLY HELL THE SAMWELL BOYS ARE RIGHT THERE AND JACK IS WAVING AT THEM AND SOMEONE SEND HELP.

#im an emotional mess #call 911 #i cant deal with this anymore

 

//

 

At the end of warm-ups Shitty left with Holster to go get drinks, leaving two empty seats between Bitty and the rest of the team, when the sound of someone clearing their throat drew his attention away from his phone and up to the walkway beside him where two college-aged girls stood, one of them nudging the other forward with an exasperated look on her face.

“Hi, um, sorry to interrupt, I just saw your tweet that you were here and I have like been subscribed to your blog for like years and your pie crust recipe is like the most brilliant thing ever and now all my roommates think I'm like a baking extraordinaire,” the other girl sputtered.

“Oh, thanks. It’s fine, you’re lucky you came now; we tend to get a bit rowdy after the drinking starts” Bitty laughed, unsure of what to do. Intellectually he knew that he had people who followed his vlog (after all, in the past 2 years his subscriber count had risen to almost ten thousand), but still... to know an actual person watched them, that was kind of a new concept for Bitty. Before either of them could continue talking however, Rans crashed into Bitty’s side, effectively taking over the conversation .

“Bittttyy, are you making friends all over here all by yourself and not even bothering to introduce me? Did Holster and I not teach you any manners?” he scolded, detangling himself from Bitty’s arm while remaining standing beside him.

“Oh, this is…”

“Abby and oh, no I just watch Eric on youtube, and all of the hockey talk that has gone on there over the past year really got me hooked on the sport so when I saw his tweet I thought I would come try to say hello at least,” she chattered, hands moving quickly as she talked. “Anyway, could I perhaps grab a photo before I head back to my seat?”

“Sure, did your friend want to be in it? I can get one of the boys to take it,” Bitty questioned, already moving to stand up for the photo.

“Oh no she’s fine to take it..um, could I maybe get some of the team in it too? I just feel like I already know them, sorry if that’s super awkward or anything.”

Before Bitty even had a chance to respond, to explain that this situation was surreal enough as is, Ransom cut in yet again.

“That's fine with me. Hey Lardo, Frogs get over here! We’re taking a group selfie with one of Bits’ fans! We even made her like hockey.”

Five minutes, two arguments over who had the longest arms, and 15 or so photos later, Abby headed back to her seat with the promise to tweet Bitty the best photos so that he could save them on his phone. The lights dimmed just after Shitty and Holster finally came back with drinks, and the game started.

 

//

 

 **Providence Falconer** @falconers - Oct 7

And the puck has dropped on the first game of the 2015-2016 season! #FalconersHabs

 **Kat**  @kitkatss - Oct 7

The chat in the stream rn is actually just all of us crying because holy fuck zimms finally made it to the NHL.

 **Sophie**  @penaltykilled - Oct 7

@KitKatss  I have no regr HOLY FUCK DID THAT GO IN WAS THAT OFF JACK

 **I’m always crying** @zimmsass - Oct 7

@kitkatss @penaltykilled IT DID AND IM HERE AND IM CRYING REAL TEARS

 **Kat** @kitkatss - Oct 7

@penaltykilled @zimmsass I’m a mess !! DID YOU SEE THE CLOSE UP ON HIS PARENTS AND THEN HIS WAVE TO THE BOYS!!

 

//

 

It was the end of the first period and Bitty’s voice was already gone, screamed hoarse after Jack’s goal just 8 minutes into play. He’s pretty sure there’s some horrible footage out there of the entire Samwell team going crazy (which is probably not the best press for the school), but when your former captain scores his first goal less than 10 minutes into his first NHL game? Well, things get a little wild. As for the pleased smile on Jack's face when he skated past their side of the rink post celly to shoot them a wave, Eric still hadn’t managed to clamp down on the growing pride that came from just seeing that quiet look of joy and satisfaction stamped across his face. He knew what this meant to Jack, that in that one moment he had proved the critics wrong, at least for now. Proved that he could play NHL level hockey, a fear which he had only whispered about over quiet nights at the house and during the late afternoon that summer. In one shot on goal Bitty could see the weight visibly lift off Jack's shoulders for just a moment before the determination that was so familiar to the entire team settled back down in its place. As the players exited the ice, Bitty could see Jack bumping shoulders and fists on the way down the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness.

 

//

 

 **Eric Bittle** @omgcheckplease - Oct 7

Did anyone else see that amazing goal ! Congratulations Jack #falconershabs

 

//

 

**zimmermannly**

Did anyone else see Eric’s tweet because look im fucking emotional about this entire team, im not sure when i became invested in NCAA hockey but here i am. Like the entire team from last year is there and like i don't know if anyone else remembers the hug from during playoffs. Like you could just see how much this team meant to him and now he is finally playing in his first NHL game and the entire team is there and he scored his first NHL goal and FUCKING WAVED AT THEM.

#i am lying in a pool of tears on the ground #help i have fallen into college hockey and i can’t get up #jack zimmermann

> **hickeyhockey**
> 
> I’m so with you on this like just looking at Jack's interviews from like the draft combine and testing and everything in 2008 vs like in the past week or so. He is just so much happier with himself and like he will bring up the samwell team at any chance he will get and IM JUST VERY EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT
> 
> #the wave #the tweets #my heart is on the ground

**crosbye**

I just want to remind everyone that i am actual trash, like i am lying on the ground crying because my other son just scored his first NHL goal faster than my first son

#like sid will always be my favourite but if jack zimmermann asked me to marry him i would say yes #that was a fucking beautiful goal

 

//

 

Long after the final buzzer sounded, the team ambled out of the stadium, a rambunctious mess of hooting and hollering as they moved towards the pre-planned meeting point past one of the back doors to the stadium through the players parking garage. Luckily for most of the team, Lardo had handled the logistics, talking animatedly with security guards as they validated their identities and let them in, away from the still swarming masses of fan celebrating the 5-2 win. Inside the players’ parking lot it was quiet, the noise from the celebrations outside muted, Chowder’s voice echoing off the ceiling as the team congregated near the stadium hallway exit while sprawling across the floors and against the walls. The Falconers’ roster slowly began trickling out of the locker room, sparing only token glances towards the crowd of college students decked out in Zimmermann gear, discussing plans of hitting up bars or dinners with family members as they walked to their cars.

Eventually, Jack emerged from the hallways looking bone-tired but content, a lazy grin on his face as Bitty jumped up from the floor and threw himself at the rapidly-growing celly around Jack. The team piled on top of him of the door banged closed; Bitty was squished against Jack's chest with a hand ruffling through his hair, the team celebrating around them, all of them wrapped in a bubble of happiness together. Jack might not be at Samwell anymore, but for many of them he would always be their captain, or their friend, or something else entirely. Looking down at Bitty pressed against him, Jack let out a soft chuckle before moving to extract himself from the hug, tapping the other guys on the head as he went.

“I don't know about you guys, but I think that was a pretty good game, right?” he chirped, the content smile from before snuck back onto his face as the other boys hooted and hollered in agreement.

“Come on then, my parents have booked a table at a place in town, something about celebrating someone's first NHL goal? Who knows what that’s about, but I’m hungry.” fist bumping Shitty before turning and heading out towards where the team had parked their cars the remainder of the group followed and a Jack softly shoulder checked Bitty on the way past Eric couldn’t help but marvel at how while everything was so different, Jack. Jack really hadn't changed at all.

 

//

 

**The Swallow - 8th, October 2015**

SS

_For those of you who have missed the gossip, though I don’t know how (even if you were hiding under a rock) last night our very own Jack Zimmermann played the first game of his NHL career. And while here at The Swallow we are not going to say it was the most important game he has ever played (that award of course going to the Hockey vs Lacrosse Snowball fight of January 2013), we are willing to say that it was the most hyped, with the most money involved, and ticket sales, and, well, everything. But hey, for those 20 or so of us who had the joy of seeing that snowball fight live, know that I personally am not forgetting the sight of B. Knight jumping over a snowdrift in only his birthday suit hauling snowballs into the eyes of terrified lacrosse players._

_So last night Zimmermann played his first game of professional hockey against the Montreal Canadiens (which, in a fascinating twist of fate, is the team his dad won his first Stanley Cup with and one of the key contenders in our “Who will Zimmermann sign for polls last year”). The lead up to the game from mainstream media has been intense with questions about his ability, coming into the NHL this late, and whether he will be worth the money that the Providence Falconers forked over for him. For us at the Swallow, however, we were more interested in getting to see our favourite Hockey Butt in locker room behind-the-scenes videos and interviews, and only minorly interested in what he put out on the ice._

_Luckily for us Zimmermann delivered in both departments, delivering what we have been assured was a flipping beautiful goal (paraphrased from one of our favourite SMH team members), and from our own observations some generous showings of our favourite hockey butt ever to pass through these hallowed halls. Jack Zimmermann was not the only Samwell student at the game last night; howeve,r he was the only one on the ice (despite Senior Adam Birkholtz’s best attempts to throw himself over 10 rows of spectators and through the glass after a minor scuffle broke out around Zimmermann late in the third). The entire SMH 14-15 roster (which Zimmermann captained to the Frozen Four late last  school year) was in attendance, all wearing the most peculiar assortment of Falconers and Samwell Merchandise the world will probably ever see._

_As always, our favourite now-Junior Eric Bittle pulled through with the selfies, posting a relatively nice one of the entire team online prior to the warm up. But our favourite SMH team moment of the night goes to the picture posted by Twitter user @Zimmsass just moments before puck drop, captioned “When you go to see the best looking hockey butt around and end up meeting your favourite baker and the SMH Team!! #FalconersHabs.” With a username like that we are going to agree with everything you said, and the photo which features half the team falling over each other to get into frame? Well, it might now be this reporter’s phone background._

_Anyways, good luck to Jack Zimmermann in the next 81 games of the season! We will be watching you (and your butt) with our usual interest._

 

//

 

 **Tweeting from the grave**  @zimmsass - Oct 8

GUYYSS IM IN THE SWALLOW AND IM CRYING  www.theswallow.com/oct-8/zimms-hockey-butt-is-still-our-fav

**Author's Note:**

> Say hi on [Tumblr](http://jlzimmermann.tumblr.com)


End file.
